"You're impatient."Her voice entered my mind like warm water, smooth and unhurried, with an undercurrent of amusement."Emotional, worried for your love. You think very loudly."
I almost laughed with relief and joy at hearing her in my mind. I caught myself, remembering the prohibition on speaking during the ceremony, and responded the way we'd been taught, forming the thought clearly and directing it outward.
"I was worried you wouldn't come."
"Of course, I would have come. Eventually."She tilted her head."Are you always this tightly wound?"
"It's been a stressful day."
"Mmm."She regarded me with her intense, large eyes."The prince who pretends he's a commoner."
"I'm just Alar here."
"I know who you are. I can read your mind, remember? Even before our bond forms, you can't hide from me. I see you. All of you."
It was terrifying, and I wasn't sure what to say to that. Did she know about the prophecy as well? Was it okay? What would Saphir and Nyxath have to say about that? Was it safe?
The dragonia chuffed."You worry too much. Your secrets are safe with me, as mine are safe with you. The bond between us demands it."
"We haven't bonded yet."
I made a point of raising my shields. She shouldn't be privy to the prophecy until Saphir and Nyxath approved it. It was toolate to shield my real identity from her, but that at least was my secret to share.
"I like you, Prince Alaranthus Tekumuton the Fifth. You're stubborn and proud and more afraid than you want anyone to know. You carry too many secrets, and you think too much. But your heart is true, and when you made the decision to stay for the bonding instead of going home to your father, you proved that you have the courage to match your ambitions."
"Is that enough?"
"It's more than most bring to the bonding."
She lowered her body, the universal dragon gesture of invitation. I stared at her for a moment that stretched beyond time.
"What's your name?"I asked.
"Veynathei."
The name resonated somewhere deep, all the way into the marrow of my bones. It felt like remembering something I'd never actually learned.
"It's an honor to make your acquaintance." I bowed as I would have to a royal.
"Will you do me the honor of accepting my bond, Prince Alaranthus Tekumuton the Fifth?"
"Only if you stop calling me that. I'm just Alar."
She chuffed."Very well. Will you accept my bond, just Alar?"
"I accept."
I expected the bond to snap into place right then, but nothing happened.
"Patience."She sounded amused."Come, Prince Alar. Climb on my back and let's fly."
I climbed. The scales beneath my hands were warm despite their metallic appearance, and the texture was finer than I'd expected, smoother than leather but with a grip that made myfooting secure. I settled into position and reached for the riding straps. The fit felt natural, as if the space between her wings had been shaped specifically for me.
Then the bond hit.
It wasn't the violent slam that I expected. It was more like a secret door opening in a wall I hadn't known was there, letting light flood into a room that had been dark. Veynathei's presence filled my mind, warm and vast and surprisingly gentle.
I felt her amusement at my surprise. Her quiet satisfaction at having chosen well. A deep, patient wisdom that reminded me, absurdly, of my grandmother, the only member of my family who had never tried to make me into something I wasn't.
